New York City, NY Accidental Bomb Shell Explosion, Mar 1845

On Monday afternoon, at half past 4 o'clock, says the N.Y. Sun, while MR. EDWARD DUVALL, house-smith and Iron Founder, 102 Charlton Street, was receiving into his foundry a quantity of bomb shells purchased of the U.S. Navy Department, one of them which through the most culpable neglect had been left with a charge in it, exploded, killing five persons including MR. DUVALL himself, and shattering all the windows in the vicinity. MR. PRICE, builder and mason, was in a one horse wagon near MR. DUVALL'S, and was instantly killed, his wagon shattered and his horse's head blown off. RICHARD BRODERICK, a youth who was passing, was also killed on the spot. SAMUEL VINCENT, apprentice to MR. DUVALL, had both his legs blown off, and was otherwise mangled.
The fifth person killed was a letter carrier in the employ of the U.S. Despatch post, who was standing near MR. DUVALL'S place at the time. His name we have not ascertained. People in the vicinity describe the shock of the explosion as being most terrific resembling an earthquake. The unfortunate victims of the disaster were torn in a dreadful manner; pieces of human flesh were picked up at a distance of one or two hundred feet from the spot. There were twelve bomb shells in all, weighing on an average about 210 lbs. but only one appears to have been charged, and we learn it came from the experiment ground at Sandy Hook where it was left probably by some of the experimental gentlemen connected with that unfortunate steamer of war, the Princeton.